


Forever Protection

by Write_To_You



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: And Made Up Magic Rules, And No Zelena, Angst, But With Robin, Drama, F/M, Family, Gold Is The Bad Guy And Not With Belle, Hurt/Comfort, It's Kind Of Out Of Time Whatever, Kidnapping, Magic, Plot, Set Season 6 Kinda, Some Made Up Backstory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26234731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Write_To_You/pseuds/Write_To_You
Summary: Gold gives Killian a choice: let him kill Emma, or endure unspeakable torture before finally being killed himself. He chooses the latter. Will Emma, her family, and her friends be able to save him in time?
Relationships: Belle & Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills & Emma Swan, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood, Henry Mills & Emma Swan, Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So.... I realized that there are, to my knowledge, ZERO CaptainSwan kidnapping fanfictions out there! Like, whaaaat?! How is that possible??? Soooo I’m writing one, because filling gaps is what I do best :D
> 
> Also, I really needed to write a multi chap CaptainSwan fic, so we're killing two birds with one spell.

Emma’s breath misted in front of her as her feet pounded over the ground. She kept her eyes focused intermittently on the forest floor in front of her and on the GPS on her phone. She didn’t have time to trip. She didn’t have time to take a wrong turn. She didn’t have time for a single misstep, not if she wanted to get to Killian before Gold...

Emma shook her head, trying to stay focused. The little blip on her phone screen showing her location finally matched up with the bigger blip of the address. Emma skidded to a stop, panting heavily and staring around her.

There was no one here. She checked the time, panic welling up like water in a plugged sink, ready to spill over. Gold had given her ten minutes. She had taken eight.

_They should be here._

“Good evening, Miss Swan.”

Emma spun around to find Rumplestiltskin standing behind her. He had his fist clenched around the shoulder of Killian’s black leather jacket. Killian himself was standing next to him, his jaw clenched so tight it was twitching intermittently. In Gold’s other hand, he was holding a heart. It was the color of sunset, spotted with dismal black, and Emma would recognize it anywhere. _Killian’s heart._

“Gold, whatever you’re planning, you don’t need to do this,” Emma said, taking a quick step forward and holding out her hands.

“ _No magic_ , Miss Swan,” Gold commanded harshly, holding up the heart. “Or I end him right here, right now.”

Emma backed down and lowered her hands.

“See, the thing is... I’m not planning anything,” Gold went on. “There is, for once, no big picture for you two worry about.”

“Then let Killian go,” Emma pleaded. “Please, Gold, just let him go.”

“ _No_ ,” the Dark One growled, giving Killian a little shake. “This is the man that turned my first wife’s eyes away from me. Who made her believe that I was inferior, who took her away from our _son_. This is the man who managed to stay alive for _centuries_ , unable to track me down to exact his revenge until our paths crossed once again. This is the man who tried to kill my True Love, then managed to win back her trust and befriend her and turn _her_ away from me, too. And yet, here he is, with his picket fence life and his... _lovely_ girlfriend and a family and a _happy ending_. You can think of this as a reminder, Miss Swan. Villains don’t _get_ happy endings.”

“But he- you-” Emma shook her head. “Look, Gold, both of you have done stuff to hurt each other. I mean, you _killed_ Milah, right in front of him! Neither of you are completely blameless, which means both of you can move on from this. Clear the score. Consider it even. You _don’t have to kill him_. It’s not going to bring you any peace.”

“No, you see, that’s where you’re wrong,” Gold replied. “Because seeing him suffer? The way I suffered? I know from experience that it does quite nicely to satiate my thirst for _revenge_.”

Emma balled her hands into fists. She was desperate to use her powers but knew that Gold was too fast. He’d be turning Killian’s heart to dust in an instant if she tried anything. “You’re just feeding the darkness. Trust me... I would know.”

“You know _nothing_ ,” Gold spat. “Now, enough, I didn’t come to debate this with you.”

“Then why am I here?” Emma demanded. “If I can’t convince you not to kill him, if you don’t want a deal for his life... why am I here? Just so you could see my face when you murder him in front of me?”

“I came because I’m going to offer our dear _pirate_ a choice,” Gold answered levelly. He turned narrowed eyes over in Killian’s direction. “Death is too good for you, at least for right now. What I want is to see you _suffer_.”

“What’s my choice, crocodile?” Killian asked. It was the first time he’d spoken since he and Gold appeared in the clearing. His voice was rough and hard and....

Terrified. He was terrified and was putting on a brave face, and Emma wanted to cry.

“You can stand here, and let me kill Miss Swan,” Gold said. “Or, you can spare her life and go through unspeakable torture at my hands until, ultimately, I kill you. The choice is yours, Captain.”

“And if I refuse to make a choice?” Killian asked, gritting his teeth so hard Emma thought they might crack.

“Then I’ll kill both of you,” Gold replied. “You have a minute to decide.”

“Killian,” Emma blurted frantically. “Killian, you have to let him kill me. I can fight him, I can- I can win! We can stop him for once and for all- _don’t let him hurt you_ , please, I can’t lose you again.”

Killian shook his head. “I have too much blood on my hands, Emma,” he murmured, looking at her with large, gentle eyes. “I have traded too many lives for my own benefit. Not again. Not _yours_.”

“So you’ve made your choice?” Gold asked, looking pleased.

“Aye,” Killian muttered. “Do whatever you want to me, but _don’t touch her_.”

“I was rather hoping you’d say that,” Gold said, grinning sickly. He started to wave his hand, ready to poof them away.

“Emma,” Killian broke out desperately. “I lo-”

Burgundy smoke filled the air.

“No,” Emma whispered, rushing forward. “ _No-_ ”

But it was too late. They were gone.

**W / T \ Y**

When Emma opened up the door to the Charming’s apartment, she was surprised to find everyone already there. Her parents, Henry, Regina and Robin and even Belle were all sitting around the table, their places set with china. There were half-empty platters of food littering the countertop. Conversation died abruptly when Emma walked in.

“Emma!” Snow cried, her voice filled with surprise and motherly disappointment. “There you are. Did you forget about dinner? You were supposed to be here a half hour ago.”

“Emma?” David echoed, his eyebrows crunching. “Where’s Hook?”

At his name, tears welled up in Emma’s eyes. She collapsed into a chair, covering her face with her hands. 

“Mom!” Henry cried, concerned. He darted from the table and over to her, grasping at her hands and pulling them away from her face. “Mom, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“Gold, he- he has Killian,” Emma managed, trying fruitlessly to stop the tears starting to run down her cheeks. 

“ _What_?!” Belle gasped, shooting to her feet. 

“Emma, _what happened_?” David demanded, getting to his feet as well and hurrying over to his daughter. “Start from the beginning.”

“I’ll get you some water,” Snow murmured, still listening as she went to get a glass.

“I- I got a message from Gold, saying that he had Killian and if- if I ever wanted to see him alive again I had to meet him at this spot in the woods,” Emma gasped out, gripping onto Henry’s hands so hard her knuckles turned white. “I thought that he wanted me there to kill Killian in front of me but- but he gave him a choice instead. He would either take my life, or he would torture Killian and eventually- eventually kill him.”

“Breathe,” David told her gently, rubbing at her shoulders as she broke into another sob. 

“I take it Captain Guyliner chose the second option?” Regina asked, lips pinched tightly together. “So Gold poofed them both away?”

Emma nodded. Snow crossed the room and handed her a glass of water. When Emma tried to take a sip, her hand was shaking so much the liquid almost sloshed over the edge.

“Breathe,” David said again. “We’re going to figure this out, Emma. We’re going to save him. Do you have any idea where they might have gone?”

“ _No_ ,” Emma said tearfully, trying to sip at the water again and managing a small gulp. “I have no idea where they’ve gone, and I’m sure Gold has found some way to block locater or summoning spells or anything that could help us. And it’s not- it’s not like magic leaves a _trail_ , I’m not going to be able to track him through the woods because he’s probably already got Killian locked up and is torturing him and I just- I couldn’t-”

“Oh, Emma,” Snow murmured, taking the water from her daughter and wrapping her into a hug. Emma let out a sob and buried her face in her mom’s shoulder. David put his hand on Henry’s back, and everyone gave the Savior a second to collect herself.

“I know you might not want to hear this, Emma...” Regina said hesitantly. “But Hook made the right decision. If he had let Gold kill you, you would already be dead. But if Gold really wants to make Killian suffer, he’s going to give him a slow, painful death.”

“Regina!” Snow gasped, glaring at the queen.

Regina held up her hand. “ _Which means_ ,” she pressed on. “That we will have more than enough time to save him. And we _will_ save him.”

Emma nodded, surprisingly fortified by her confidence. She pulled away from Snow and wiped at her face with her sleeve. 

“I might have an idea,” Regina went on. She got to her feet, her hand resting on Robin’s shoulder for a second before her eyes fell on the basket of rolls on the dining room table. She looked at Snow with a sheepish grin. “Can I-?”

“By all means, help yourself,” Snow replied, waving a hand. She sounded a little sarcastic, and Emma wasn’t sure if Irritated Snow was out to play because Regina had wanted a roll or because family dinner had been interrupted. Again.

“These are my favorites,” Regina admitted, snagging a roll and wrapping it in a napkin before she strode out the door.

“I’ll go with her,” Robin supplied, standing up. “Safety in numbers. And besides, she might need my help.”

He realized a moment later that he wasn’t fooling anyone, and let out a sigh. “Or maybe she’ll just need an errand boy. Either way...”

“Go,” Emma told him, waving him toward the door. “I don’t think you’ll be able to do anything here. I don’t think any of us can.”

She got up to sit down at the dining room table and was quickly joined by her parents and son. “Emma...” Belle said slowly, not quite meeting her eyes. “I’m _so sorry_. Rumple, he-”

“Is not your responsibility,” Emma cut in. “You don’t have to apologize for him, Belle. Just because you married him doesn’t mean you have to share the blame in every evil thing _he_ decides to do.”

One corner of Belle’s mouth slid up unhappily, but she nodded. 

“Now, what do we do?” Snow asked, leaning forward a little and clasping her hands on top of the table. David moved in the opposite direction, settling against his chair and, apparently inspired by Regina, reaching for a roll. Snow slid him the butter before he asked for it, her gaze still on her daughter.

Emma shrugged cluelessly. “What _can_ we do?” she asked, her voice cracking a little. Henry reached out and put his hand on top of hers, and she offered him a weak smile. “I mean, if Killian was here he’d be telling me to use my bail-bonds-person-woman skills, but I can’t _do_ that with magic.”

“No,” David agreed. “When magic is involved, you need magic to stop it.”

“I wonder what Mom is going to try?” Henry mused, frowning slightly. “I wonder if it has anything to do with...”

He trialed off. Snow raised an eyebrow and leveled him with her patented Mom Look. “Henry? Has Regina been working on something without telling us?”

“She has,” Belle spoke up. Emma, Charming and Snow glanced over at her, surprised to hear her speak up again. “Regina has been working with me and the fairies to try and figure out a special enchantment.”

“With... you?” Snow repeated, a little confused.

Belle threw up her hands and let out a frustrated sigh. “You all seem to forget, time and time again, that I actually know _quite_ a bit about magic. And spells. And potion ingredients, and a lot of other stuff. Not only did I basically run Rumple’s shop for _months_ , but I study and read. _All_ the time.”

“Right, sorry,” Emma broke in. “We’re not doubting your worth, Belle. I just didn’t know you and Regina were on... plotting terms.”

Belle’s lips quirked at her phrasing. “I think it’s a necessity thing. She thinks I’ll be able to help.”

“Sorry.... help with _what_ , exactly?” David asked, squinting a little. “What’s this enchantment you were talking about?”

“It’s to protect us from Grandpa,” Henry put in. “We’re calling it Operation Spinning Wheel. Mom didn’t want to tell you guys just in case nothing came out of it.”

“A long time ago, Rumple created this spell that prevented Regina from directly hurting Mary Margaret,” Belle explained. “She wants to recreate that enchantment and find a way to put it on all of us, so that Rumple can no longer hurt us.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “But, if she could do that, Killian-”

“Might be able to avoid any of the pain Rumple has in store for him,” Belle concluded with a smile. “Exactly.”

David leaned forward excitedly. “This is an amazing idea. Why haven’t we ever thought to try this on any of our past nemeses?”

“Because the spell isn’t easy,” Belle replied. “Not only are the ingredients hard to come by, but to actually get the spell to work, it’s a bit of a challenge.”

Snow nodded. “I remember,” she said. “Regina had to actually stab me with the enchanted blade before I could be protected from her. The only way this would work is if Gold tried to hurt us with something connected with the spell. And knowing him, he’ll smell that kind of trick a mile away.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Emma put in. “To stop Gold from being able to hurt Killian, we’d have to somehow get him to use an enchanted weapon to... hurt Killian? But how could we do that if we can’t even find them?”

“I don’t know,” Belle admitted. “Which means that Regina must have found another way to make the spell work.”

Emma pushed back her chair. “Then I should go help,” she said. “Maybe my magic can speed things along.”

“Emma...” Snow said gently, reaching up and catching the blonde’s wrist before she could blow out the door. “Honey... if Regina had needed your help, she would have asked. You just saw the man you love get taken towards certain torture and, look at you, you’re still shaking. Sit down and eat a little something, and then we can figure out what all of us can do to help Killian.”

“I’m not going to eat dinner while Killian is being tortured by Gold!” Emma protested, but she was letting her mother pull her gently back to her chair. “Mom, I can’t just sit and do nothing- I’ll go _insane_.”

“Eating isn’t doing nothing,” Snow told her firmly. She reached towards the nearest platter of food on the table and began to scoop some into Emma’s empty plate. “It’s keeping your strength up. You’ll be of no help to Regina _or_ Killian if you pass out from hunger.”

“Your mother’s right, Emma,” David agreed. “Let’s finish up dinner, and then we can go see Regina.”

Emma slumped, realizing that neither of her parents would let her leave before she’d done as they said. “Fine,” she relented. “But the minute we’re done, we go find Regina.”

“Of course,” Snow assured her, rubbing her back. “The minute we’re done, you take the lead.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I liked the episode vibe of the last chapter so much that I think I’m actually going to do some scenes without Emma or Killian in them, like with different characters in them, which I wasn’t originally going to do. Hope y’all enjoy :)

Regina stared down at the list in front of her, neatly penned out in Belle’s legible cursive. 

_Forever Protection Enchantment (Ingredient List)  
~ A drop of blood from a one who’s job it is to protect  
~ An item that has been used in defense of another  
~ A branch from a hundred year old hardwood tree   
~ The tip of a sword that has been used in battle  
~ The arrow of a fallen archer  
~ The chest plate of a guard’s son  
~ A hair from the person you want to be protected against_

“Everything alright?” 

Regina jumped a little and turned around, relaxing when she saw who’d just walked into her vault. “Robin. What’re you doing here?”

“Just came to offer my services,” he said with a small smile, stepping forward to wrap his arms around her waist and put a chin on her shoulder. “What’s this?”

“Just a spell I’ve been working on,” Regina murmured, leaning back against his chest. “If it works the way I want it to, it could protect all of us from Gold. Including Hook.”

Robin nodded. “Those are some pretty specific ingredients.”

“It’s a spell,” Regina repeated, laughing a little. “They’re _always_ specific.”

Robin unwound himself from around her waist and came to stand next to her, frowning thoughtfully as the two of them read over the list. Regina glanced up at him. “Do you think you could get any of these? Belle finished the list yesterday, and now I just have to collect all of the ingredients and start brewing. The sooner we can get that first step done the better, so.... I could use any help you can offer.”

Robin looked pleased. “I know at least one on there I can get you,” he confirmed. “The arrow of a fallen archer. One of our deceased Merry Men was handy with a bow and I think I still have some of his arrows stowed away. I might be able to find a hundred year old hardwood, too.”

“Wonderful,” Regina said with a wide smile. She turned and placed her hands flat on his chest. “If you could get those for me, I can try to find the others.”

Robin nodded, kissed her quickly, and strode out of the vault. Regina looked back at the list. The drop of blood would be easy enough; she could use one of Emma’s. An item that had been used in defense of another could be almost anything in the Charming’s armory. The tip of a sword used in battle could be any one of theirs as well, and Belle should be able to supply one of Rumple’s hairs. The only thing that would be a challenge was a chest plate of a guard’s son. Chest plates themselves were hard to come by in Storybrooke, much less ones that were that specific.

With a frown, Regina folded up the list of ingredients and waved her hand, poofing herself back to the Charming’s loft. She found the room mostly cleared out, but Emma was still at the dining room table, picking at some roasted broccoli, and Belle was sitting across from her reading a book. The latter looked up at the sound of Regina’s magical appearance. “Regina! I’m glad you’re here. Henry and I tried to explain to the others about Operation Spinning Wheel, but they still have some questions.”

Emma slowly looked over her shoulder Regina, and the ex-Queen shuddered at how hollow her expression was. 

“Emma,” she said gently. “How are you?”

“Fine,” Emma replied, though it was pretty unconvincing “Did you finish the spell?”

“Not yet,” Regina answered, her words slowing. “I’ve... sent Robin to gather two ingredients, but most of them I’m going to need from you and your family.”

“Of course,” David cut in, coming in from a side room. Snow was close behind him, holding Neal. “Whatever you need, Regina.”

“Okay.” Regina tugged out the list of ingredients. “I need a drop of blood from one who protects. That’s you, Emma, but you can put that in once we have all the other ingredients boiling; I think it’ll be easier.” She glanced up at the Charmings. “Do either of you have a weapon that has been used to protect someone before?”

“Do we ever,” Snow scoffed. “You have a preference between bow, sword, javelin, dagger, arrow-”

“I get it, you protect people a lot,” Regina interrupted, rolling her eyes. “Whatever you’ll be willing to part with, give that to me. I’m also doing to need a the tip of a sword that was used in battle.”

David nodded. “On it,” he replied, and brushed his wife’s arm with his hand. “I’ll grab your backup bow from the closet while I’m getting my sword, okay? Then that’s two ingredients down.” 

Snow smiled at him and Regina dipped her chin. They were making good progress already. 

Belle, who already knew the list by heart, got to her feet. “I’ll go see if I can’t find a hair of Rumple’s,” she offered, making for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

“Go to my vault when you’ve got the ingredient,” Regina instructed as Belle grabbed her trench coat and slipped out the door. She turned back to Emma and Snow, as well as Henry, who had just come down the stairs from the loft to see what was going on. “There’s on last ingredient that I’m not quite sure where to find.”

“What is it?” Snow asked, eyebrows furrowing a little. Neal fussed and she turned her attention back to him.

“The chest plate of a guard’s son,” Regina recited, lips pinching. 

“Where are we supposed to find that?” Emma asked cluelessly. “Do we know any guards with sons who happen to have their own chest plates?”

“If we knew a guard with a son, could we buy him a chest plate and then use that?” Henry asked quizzically. “Or would that not count?”

“There’s no way to know for sure,” Regina admitted. “But I’m guessing the spell wants it to be really and truly _his_.”

Snow took a seat, cuddling Neal to her chest. “I wonder if there are any of David and I’s old guards in Storybrooke?” she mused. “Some of them were old enough to have kids.”

“We could put up flyers,” Henry suggested. “Say we’re looking for the son of a guard who owns a chest plate.” He shrugged. “There have been odder queries in this town.”

“Good idea,” Emma replied, and stood. “I’ll help you.”

They left the apartment, headed for Henry’s computer to design a flyer to print and post around town.

Regina took a seat at the table, drumming her fingers thoughtfully on the countertop. Snow tilted her head slightly. “I remember this spell,” she said. “Can’t it only be activated by the person who you want to be protected against?”

“Originally, yes,” Regina admitted, staring at her fingers. “But there may be a way to cast the enchantment more like a protection spell. It would be less permanent, but it would buy Hook a little more time.”

“Are you certain it will work?”

Regina glanced up at the hardness in her tone. “With magic, nothing is ever _certain_ ,” she replied cautiously, unsure of why Snow was acting like this. “But... I guess you could say that I’m hopeful.”

A smile flickered on Snow’s face, but it was gone quickly. “The thing is, so is Emma,” she said with a soft sigh. “She needs the hope right now more than any of us. But if this doesn’t work, and that hope is suddenly smashed... I think that not having a Plan B might just break her.”

“Well then,” Regina said, swallowing. She was hopeful, yes, but she was never unrealistic. “I guess you better get started on a Plan B.” 

**W / T \ Y**

“Hey, Mom?” Henry spoke up as he and Emma walked down Main Street. They had made short work of the posters and were now busy pinning them to any available space. Emma was too busy worrying to be focused on what other people would think about how odd and specific their search was.

“What’s up, kid?” she replied, pulling a thumbtack out of her pocket and shoving it through a flyer and into a nearby power-line pole. 

“Do you think Hook-” He paused, absentmindedly tearing a corner off of one of his flyers. “Do you think that we’ll-”

“We’re going to do as much as we possibly can,” Emma interjected gently, understanding what he was trying to get at. She tucked her papers under elbow and reached out, putting an arm around Henry’s shoulders. “You know how we work, Henry. We always find a way.”

“But what if we _can’t_?” Henry pressed. “What happens if Hook- what happens if he doesn’t make it? Are you going to be okay?”

Emma’s stomach twisted. Here she was, thinking Henry was scared for Killian’s future. But, while that might have been part of it, he was mostly just scared for _hers_. 

“I’ll make it through, Henry,” she said softly. “Now, I’m not saying I’m going to give up. I will _never_ give up on Killian, but... if the worst does happen then I’ll have to find a way to go on. We all will.”

“I’ll be there for you, if it does happen,” Henry promised. “I swear.”

Emma squeezed her eyes shut against a wave of affectionate tears, pressing a kiss to the top of Henry’s head. “I know, kid. You’re always there for me. All of you are.”

Henry chose that moment to fall back into his role of teenaged son, and pulled away. “We should, uh, keep putting up flyers,” he said, awkward from all the emoting that had just been going on. “I mean, if we want the whole town to have seen this by the end of the day... we’re going to have to get a move on.”

Emma nodded her agreement, skimming the street for another spot to put up her flyer. “Henry...” she said slowly. “You don’t think that _Gold_ will see these, do you?”

That made him take pause. “I guess I just assumed he wouldn’t be around,” he said quietly. “Because, you know, he’s, uh, _busy_. With Hook.”

Emma swallowed back the tremor that ran through her when she remembered exactly what the man she loved was going through right about now. It was easy to get it into her head that he was just... out, on the Jolly Rodger, taking the afternoon for himself at Granny’s, whatever the case may be. But he _wasn’t_. He had been kidnapped and was being tortured by his worst enemy, and they could do nothing but hang flyers around a tiny town in the hopes that the right person would see them and respond.

“If he _does_ see them,” Henry went on. “I wonder if he’d know? Like, what we’re planning? He’s made this spell before, do you think he’d recognize the ingredient?”

“For all we know, the chest plate of a guard’s son is a common ingredient in a potion,” Emma countered, somewhat unconvincingly. 

Henry looked just as dubious as she sounded. “For whatever reason, I kind of doubt that,” he said. He had been about to pin up the next flyer, but paused. “Do you... do you think we should stop? Take them down? We can’t risk Gold finding out what we’re up to.”

“We _also_ can’t risk not being able to make this enchantment,” Emma rejoined. “We’re just going to have to hope that, if Gold happens to see these posters, he won’t know why they’re up. Or who’s making them.”

“I guess,” Henry said. He still sounded uncertain, but he tacked up the poster anyway. 

Emma’s phone started buzzing, and she glanced down at it. “It’s Regina,” she reported to Henry, pressing the answer button and holding the device up to her ear. “Hey.”

“ _Emma, hi_ ,” Regina replied. “ _We’ve managed to compile all the ingredients for the spell except for your blood and, of course, the chest plate. Have you and Henry been able to hang up the flyers?_ ”

“We’re working on it,” Emma said. She glanced both ways down the empty street and crossed to the other side to pin up another paper. Storybrooke’s roads, nine times out of ten, we’re completely devoid of cars, but city habits died hard. “Once we get the chest plate, how long will the spell take to make?”

Regina paused. Emma could just hear papers rustling in the background and the unintelligible murmur of Belle’s voice. “ _A few hours tops, most likely_ ,” she replied finally. “ _Melting down all the metal ingredients is going to take the longest, and then it’ll have to brew for exactly fifty-two minutes_.”

“Fifty-two?” Emma repeated, raising an eyebrow. “These spells are really specific.”

Regina let out a dry laugh. “ _You have no idea_ ,” she muttered. “ _I’m hoping that, at the very least, we can get the spell to work on the first try. I’m pretty confident in all of our ingredients being correct. It’s really just the chest plate that’s tripping us up, now._ ”

“Well, hopefully, these flyers work and _someone_ of use sees them,” Emma replied, starting to wrap up the conversation so she could get back to work. “At this point, I’m not sure what else we can do.”

**W / T \ Y**

Killian was lying in a pool of blood.

It hadn’t started like that. But he’d been in the same position on the cold concrete floor for so long that the splattering of blood had turned into a wide puddle, expanding around his body. He knew he was bleeding out. He was starting to get cold and lightheaded. 

But he also knew that that meant the pain would be over soon. The Crocodile would be back and would heal him; he’d done it four times already. And while it was true that he was only putting Killian back together so that he could tear him apart again, the pirate had spent enough time with Emma and her impossibly hopeful family to not start seeing the glass half full.

True to his theory, Gold soon made his appearance. Killian was currently trapped in a metal cage at the bottom of a set of steps that led to a door. Gold alternated between poofing straight into his cell and coming in through that door. Killian had tried to see where he was, but all he could make out when the door opened was some trees. Considering where he lived, that detail wasn’t all that helpful.

There were footsteps on the stairs. Killian wished he could sit up and face his enemy with honor, but he wasn’t able to move. Granted, there _was_ a hole gouged into his abdomen. He thought that gave him a pretty good excuse. 

Gold stepped into Killian’s line of sight. He was holding piece of paper about half the size of a normal sheet. “What’s that?” Killian rasped, squinting up at him.

“It never fails to interest me how everyone starts by thinking they’re controlling their destiny, only for it to come around and control them,” Gold said by way of a response. He took another step further into the cell, almost standing on Killian now. “This, Captain Jones, is a flyer searching for a very specific magical ingredient.”

Killian’s frown deepened and he waited for Gold to elaborate.

“Your _family_ is looking for a way to protect themselves from me,” Gold went on, the toe of his boot growing ever closer to Killian’s hand. Killian tried not to flinch away, but he’d already had his fingers broke three times and he wasn’t looking to go through the experience again. “They’re trying to make a potion and the only ingredient they can’t get their hands on is a chest plate from a guard’s son.”

Killian froze, looking up at Gold with wide eyes. 

“Precisely.” Gold tilted his head back and smirked. “If only they had known. They might have actually managed to complete this spell right under my nose.”

He shrugged, crumpling the flyer and letting it fall. Killian watched its progress with his eyes, seeing it hit the ground and slowly begin to absorb the blood on the floor.

“Now,” Gold said, raising his hands. “Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we? I’m not _nearly_ done with you yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so y’all know, I’m taking some creative liberties on Killian’s past (you’ll understand why in the next chapter).


	3. Chapter 3

Emma lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling of her house. It was horribly, unnervingly quiet in the room. She had gotten so used to hearing Killian’s light snores and rustling in the sheets that without it, it felt like there was something missing.

Well.... there was something missing. _He_ was missing. And it had never been more blatantly obvious than it was right now. 

Emma got up. There was no point in lying in bed, awake, for any longer than she already had been. She picked up her phone and glanced through the messages, hoping that someone had seen the posters and called the number, her number, that they’d printed onto the bottom. 

But there was nothing. She and Henry had finished putting up the flyers at close to 9pm, and by that point most of Storybrooke was at home with their loved ones. There wasn’t much late-night reveling in the tiny town, which meant that most of their hopes depended on someone seeing the flyers tomorrow and calling in.

Emma switched from her messages to her voicemails. She clicked on one from a couple weeks ago and held it up to her ear, laying back in bed as she listened.

_‘Emma, love, it’s Killian. Do I have to say that? Do you know that it’s me? Well, anyways, it’s Killian. Uhhh.... just wanted to ask if you had a dinner plan. Walking past Granny’s now. Should I pick something up? I guess I’ll... wait around until you call me back? So... call me back. Alright. Bye. I love you.’_

After that there was the sound of muffled rustling and a few muttered curses. 

_‘Bloody- how do you turn this thing off? Ah, good, Henry -hello, Violet- Henry, how do you stop the bloody phone from recording your message?’_

Then came Henry’s voice. _‘You literally just hang up. Right there, that button. I’ve told you this like eighty times. Oh, hi mom!’_

Emma’s lips quirked as she heard her own voice. _‘What are you three doing?’_

_‘Just trying to leave you a bloody message,’_ Killian replied. _‘How do you shut this thing off?’_

Emma heard the sound of herself and Henry laughing, and then the message came to an end. She quickly pulled the phone away from her ear and went to the next one, then the next. Most of Killian’s messages only last a few seconds, so Emma listened to them more than once, until close to an hour had gone by.

She fell asleep like that, with her phone pressed to her ear, the voice message long over. 

**W / T \ Y**

Henry woke up at 7:30 to the sound of his alarm, which may or may not have been “Only You”, AKA his and Violet’s song. He usually took a Sunday to sleep in, but Henry knew that everyone would need to get moving as soon as possible that morning if they were going to be able to save Hook. While it was true that the Dark One wanted him to suffer, no one had any idea how long that suffering would last before Gold got bored and killed Killian.

Henry got out of bed, yawning and rubbing at his face. He was regretful to miss a day of sleep, but he _was_ glad it wasn’t Monday. He couldn’t even imagine having to get on the bus and go to school today, all the while knowing that his new resident father-figure could die at any second. 

Henry headed towards the stairs, pulling a hoody over his head as he went. Emma had a tendency to sleep just as long as him on a Sunday morning (though, with Hook’s habit of getting up with the sun, her sleep schedule had started changing a little), but he was pretty sure she would be awake even before him today. As he walked down the stairs, he tried to predict that breakfast situation. He could see Emma getting all gourmet and making pancakes, trying to bolster his spirits, but he could also see her staring off into space over a bowl of cereal because she hadn’t had the energy to do anything else. 

What Henry _didn’t_ expect was not to see Emma at all. He frowned, glancing around the living room and kitchen, but she was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but there were no dishes in the sink and her coat was still hanging by the door, which meant that she hadn’t already gotten up and left the house. 

Frowning, Henry walked back upstairs. Maybe he was paranoid, but considering Killian had just been kidnapped, he wouldn’t be taking any chances with his other parent. 

He found Emma lying on top of her covers, her phone resting in a loose grip beside her. Henry carefully eased the device from her lax fingertips and opened it, too curious to see what she’d been doing before she fell asleep to care all that much about privacy. Besides, his mom was allowed to look at his phone. It was only fair.

It took Henry a moment to realize what he was looking at. Voicemails. Dozens of voicemails from Hook. 

“Oh mom,” Henry murmured, turning the phone off and putting it on Emma’s bedside table. He looked down at her and the corners of his mouth turned down. She had said she’d be alright if Killian didn’t make it through this.

Henry was honestly starting to doubt if that would be the case. 

He put down the phone and decided to let her sleep for a little while longer.

**W / T \ Y**

By the time everyone convened in Snow and David’s apartment, it was nearing 10pm. Henry had waited until nine to wake up Emma but she still had terrible bags under her eyes. She hadn’t eaten any breakfast and she was barely touching the coffee Snow had put in front of her, Regina, Robin and Belle when they’d arrived.

“We’ve been waiting to melt down the ingredients,” Regina said as she hung her coat over the back of her chair and took a seat, pushing her hand through her hair, “at least until we can get the chest plate, anyway. Have you heard from anyone yet, Emma?”

“If I had, don’t you think I would have told you?” Emma asked her, lips pinching. “No. No one has called, texted, or spontaneously appeared.”

“We didn’t even stop to consider the possibility that this person just... might not exist,” Snow spoke up softly, her eyebrows furrowing. “I know that we’ve talked about the spell not working, but... what if we can’t even complete it?”

Emma stood up so quickly her legs hit the table with a bang. “Stop it!” she yelled. “How can you be so _hopeful_ when it’s you and David’s future on the line, but when it’s Killian’s you just give up?!”

“I’m not giving up, Emma,” Snow replied firmly, staring her daughter down. “I’m being _practical_.”

“Screw being practical!” Emma cried. She shoved her fingers into her hair, messing it up even more than it had been to start that morning. “We don’t need _practical_ , we need _answers_. We need _plans_. I- I’m going to go look for Killian. Call me if you find anything.”

She stormed out of the apartment, not even bothering to grab her coat. Snow rose halfway out of her chair to follow, but Regina laid a hand on her arm. “Let her go,” she said soothingly. “There’s nothing you can do right now. And, who knows? Maybe she’ll be able to find Hook and all of this will be over before we know it.”

Snow’s glance showed Regina just how doubtful that was, but she sat back down again.

“Guys, I’ve been thinking,” Henry spoke up. “There _might_ be a way to figure out this guard’s son without him coming to us.”

Regina raised her eyebrows. “And that is?” 

“Me,” Henry answered. He dug in his pocket for a second and pulled out a slim brown case. “Or, the Pen, I guess. What if I could find a way to write the story of the guard, and his son, that we need? Then we’ll know who it is and where to find him and his chest plate.”

“Henry, that’s brilliant,” Regina muttered, getting to her feet. “I’ll get you some paper.”

She returned before long, laying the sheets in front of her son. Henry had unpacked his quill and the ink, and he picked the former up with a deep breath. Then he glanced up, taking in all the expectant faces. “Uh... do you mind if I have the room for second? The quill gets... performance anxiety, sometimes. It works better when it’s just me.”

“Yes, of course,” David agreed, getting to his feet and reaching a hand down for Snow. They headed off toward the living room, closely followed by Robin and Belle, leaving Henry and Regina at the table.

Regina reached over and rubbed his back. “No matter what happens, Henry,” she said, “I know you’ll do your best. Don’t beat yourself up too much if this doesn’t work, okay? You’re still honing your abilities as the Author, just like Emma and I had to learn to use our magic and Snow had to train to be an archer. You’ll get there, even if you aren’t there right now.”

Henry nodded. “Thanks, mom,” he said, and dipped his quill into the magical ink.

Being the Author worked in two different ways. Henry had the ability to write whatever he wanted out of his own head, a feature generally used for editing timelines or people’s stories. The other way to write was to let the pen do the work for him. That allowed him to document moments that he hadn’t even been around for, like when he’d written everyone’s unfinished business back in the Underworld. 

Henry used that feature of the pen now. He knew that he _did_ have the ability to write Killian away from Gold and straight into the apartment, but the quill wasn’t supposed to be used like that. It was way too much like playing God for any one person to have power over; Henry had agreed to that. So instead, he let his hand drift across the page, hoping against hope that the quill would write what he wanted to know. 

_‘Long ago, there lived a sonless, loveless man,’_ the story began. _‘He had nothing in his life but his work, a peculiar work as a personal guard for a young woman. The young woman’s father was incredibly protective of his daughter, wanting to make sure that she was safe at all times from the dangers of the Enchanted Forest they lived in.’_

Henry paused in his writing for a second, a grin breaking over his face. “It’s working!” he called to the others. “It’s writing the guard’s story!”

Hope broke over everyone’s faces. “Let us know the _instant_ you figure something concrete out,” Regina said, smiling widely. “Good work, Henry.”

Henry turned back to his page and kept writing:

_‘The guard came from a poor family, and the young woman from a very rich one. At first, the young woman resented her father and the guard for the position they’d both put her in, one where she barely had a moment to be alone and she felt oppressed by the knowledge that her father didn’t trust her enough to protect herself. But as time went on, and the guard and the young woman shared more and more moments together, they began to fall in love._

_Neither of them were sure what to do. They were from two completely different classes. In truth, they never would have met if it hadn’t been for the young woman’s father. But, even though he had brought about their love, he would never agree to it. The only thing for the two lovers to do was to run away._

_So run away they did. The young woman left her family and her heritage behind, and married the guard in a grove in the woods, where no one would find them. It wasn’t long before she became pregnant with a young boy. She and the guard named him Liam, and they were happy together.’_

Henry paused, his fingers tightening around the quill. Liam... it couldn’t be.

He kept writing. 

_‘Unfortunately, the guard was having trouble finding more work. He had been well paid when he’d worked for his wife’s father, and they’d been able to live off of that money for quite awhile, but it was running low. When the young woman found out she was pregnant with another child, the guard realized that he would have to do something drastic in order to keep their family afloat._

_So he joined a crew of pirates and set sail.’_

“Oh my gosh,” Henry whispered. “There’s no way.”

_‘When the guard returned from his journeys and went back to his wife, he found that she had given birth in the time he’d been away. She’d given their second son the name of Killian, after her father-’_

“Guys!” Henry cried, spinning around. “I know who the guards son is!”

Expectant stares met this realization. “Who, Henry?” Snow asked.

“Killian Jones.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: AHHH!!!! 
> 
> Sorry I had to add-lib the backstory there. I just wanted all the pieces to fit together :D :D
> 
> GUyyyyyyys I always forget how fun it is to write a chapter story you don’t even knowwww.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARGh I’m so sorry for the long wait! School has really crept up and kicked me in the butt.

The Charming extended family and friends group called Emma to meet them at Killian’s ship. The only chance, they thought, of being able to find a chest plate that had belonged to Captain Hook was to look in his pilfered treasures. A chest plate pillaged from someone was, according to Regina, still _technically_ his. 

Emma was already on the Jolly Rodger when the others arrived. When her eyes fell on Snow, she dropped her gaze to the ground. “Mom, I’m so sorry-”

“Emma.” Snow reached out and took her daughter’s hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “There is _nothing_ to be sorry for. Being in love makes you do crazy things.”

Emma looked up, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say what I did is exactly _crazy_ -”

“You yelled at your mother when there was a bow and arrow lying within ten feet,” David interrupted, giving her a teasing grin. “I’d say that was pretty crazy.”

Emma rolled her eyes, and Regina coughed. “Now that that’s out of the way... how about we find this chest plate and save Hook, already?”

“Right, yeah,” Emma agreed, pulling away from Snow. “Belle, as much as it... humbles me to say this: I think you know the Jolly Rodger best out of any of us here.”

Belle’s lips twitched. “Considering that I spent multiple days trapped here by my psychopathic husband? Yes, I think you’d be right.”

“Do you have any idea where there might be a chest plate?” Henry asked hopefully. 

Belle leaned against the mast stem for a moment, wracking her impressive memory for any ideas that could help. Finally, she let out a thoughtful hum and strode down the steps to the ships inner quarters. 

By the time the rest of the group made it downstairs, Belle was already standing in front of a large chest, nailed down to the ship to avoid it sliding. “I think we might have some luck with the objects in here,” she said. “Hook showed me a few things to get my mind off of Rumple one afternoon, and I feel like I remember seeing a chest plate as one of the items.”

She glanced down at the lock and Regina stepped forward. “On it,” she said, waving her hand and breaking the lock into two pieces. The chest opened magically and Belle leaned forward.

Henry let out a low whistle as they took in all of the treasure in the chest, glittering dully in the light. “Dang,” he muttered. “If Hook has this much packed away, can I get a raise in my allowance?”

Emma sent him an unamused glance but he just come back with a cheeky grin, unabashed.

Belle was carefully rifling through the items in the chest. “Here!” she cried, pulling out a large sheet of dull silver, formed to fit someone’s upper body. “Killian’s self-procured chest plate.”

Emma let out a relieved breath, moving a few quick steps forward and taking the chest plate carefully from Belle’s grasp. It didn’t look breakable, no, but she wasn’t going to take any chances. “Thank you,” she said seriously, before turning to Regina. “So we can start making the potion?”

Regina nodded. “That we can. Let me take the chest plate back to my vault and get started. The rest of you should start looking for a way to cast a protection spell with a potion like this, _and_ a way to do it when you can’t even see your target.”

“On it,” Emma agreed. “I’ll start pulling together my magic books. Belle, do you think there’s anything we could use at the library?”

“Probably....” Belle said slowly. “I’ll look. But there’s something I need to do first.”

“Okay,” Emma replied, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Well, meet us back at my place, and we’ll see what we can figure out.”

**W / T \ Y**

The door of Gold’s shop opened with a cheery ring, and Belle slipped inside. She had ignored the ‘Closed’ sign hanging on the outside of the door, but she wasn’t entirely confident that Gold would even be here.

“Rumple?” she called, peering into the gloom. The shop, even when she’d been running it, had always been a little creepy without the lights on.

There was a rustling noise from the back room and Belle’s husband stepped through the curtain. “Belle,” he said, surprise coloring his tone. “What are you doing here?”

“You have Hook,” Belle replied, striding further into the room. She had come here with a plan, a... con, of sorts, that she hoped to get by Rumple. It would be interesting to see how successful she was. “You think I _wouldn’t_ be here?”

Gold’s mouth tightened into a firm line. “Stay out of this, Belle,” he told her coldly. “You’re not going to be able to convince me to let him go or spare his life.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning to.” Belle had reached the front counter of the shop and she planted her hands on it. “I came here because I wanted in on the action.”

There was a pause. Gold squinted suspiciously at her. “I’m... listening.”

Belle squeezed the top of the counter to keep her hands from shaking with nerves. “Look, I know you think that Hook and I are all.... _buddy buddy_ , but I will remind you that he _did_ kidnap me, and shoot me, and force me to lose my memory. And then his _ship_...” she gave a theatric shudder. “Don’t get me started on how painful it was to _live_ with the man. Besides, what he did to you and Milah it- it makes my blood boil. And he just got _away_ with it.”

Gold was looking honestly wary of her now. “I thought you two had figured out your differences?”

“I can do forgiveness most of the time, Rumple, but not for him. Not after what he did to me. To _us_. We might not still be together, but part of me thinks that we could have been, if it wasn’t for the impact he had on our life.” Belle shook her head. “Now, you’ve got him locked up somewhere, and I don’t want you to let him go. I want you to- to let me hurt him.”

Her stomach squeezed, making her feel almost nauseous at the act she was forcing herself to put on, and at the fact that it might not be enough.

Gold was silent for a long moment, and then his lips twisted cruelly. “Seems only fair,” he decided, and with a wave of his hand the two of them vanished from the shop. 

When Belle reappeared, she was standing in the narrow space outside of a cage. Killian was lying inside, and Belle barely smothered a gasp at the sight of him. There was blood covering his entire face, both of his eyes were swollen almost entirely shut, his nose looked broken and his lip was split. That was just the damage she could see; who knew how much worse it was under his usual well-layered outfit?

Gold waved his hand, and the cell door creaked open. “Have at him,” he said.

Belle stepped shakily inside, kneeling down beside Killian. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, before she pressed down on Killian’s chest.

He let out a cry of pain, eyes flying open as best they could with the massive amount of swelling. “Belle?” he croaked. “What’re you _doing_?”

“Making you _pay_ ,” Belle add-libbed. Then she leaned down, moving her mouth right by Killian’s ear. “I’m sorry. I had to make it seem like I want to hurt you.”

“What?” Killian wheezed, smart enough to keep his voice down.

“I needed a way to find out where you are,” Belle explained quickly. “Rumple poofed be here, though, so I wasn’t able to see the surroundings. Do you have any idea of where we are right now?”

“No,” Killian breathed. “We’re near trees. I don’t- I don’t know.”

Disappointment settled in Belle’s stomach. She glanced surreptitiously over her shoulder, trying to figure out any way she’d be able to make it to the door. 

Unfortunately, Gold caught the glance. “You aren’t here to hurt him,” he realized, waving the cell door open again and striding in to drag Belle bodily away from Killian. “You’re here to _help_ him!”

Belle stared at him, furious. “Yes, Rumple, I am!” she yelled, the jig up. “Did you seriously think I wouldn’t accept his apology? Forgiveness is what heroes _do_ , which is something you would never personally understand!”

Belle put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a hard shove, then went running for the steps. Growing with rage, Gold appeared in front of her. She smacked into his chest, tripped, and slipped down the steps.

“Belle!” Killian cried, pulling himself to his feet with the bars of his cage and shaking them desperately. 

Belle slowly stood up. “Rumple...” she murmured, fingers brushing her face. They came away bloody. “You said you’d never hurt me.”

He was down the stairs in an instant, reaching for her. Belle slowly backed away, moving carefully up the steps. “Belle, I’m sorry,” Gold said pleadingly. “I never meant to-”

Belle’s hand hit the doorknob. She twisted it, and shoved the door open with her shoulder. 

She was just able to get a glimpse of the forest around her before burgundy smoke filled her vision and she was being poofed away by Gold’s magic.

Gold turned slowly towards Killian. “You’ll _pay_ for that,” he growled, and raised his cane.

**W / T \ Y**

Belle appeared in the Charming’s apartment. David and Snow were in the living room, and both jumped to their feet when they saw her. “Belle!” Snow cried, running forward. “What _happened_?”

Belle looked down at the blood positively coating her hands. “Don’t worry,” she said, striding towards the sink. “It’s not mine. Well,” she paused, fingers brushing her chin, “this part is. But the rest of it is Killian’s.”

David choked. “ _Killian’s_? You saw him? Where is he? Is he...?”

“Okay? No.” Belle turned on the faucet with her elbow and started furiously scrubbing her hands. “You need to call Emma and Regina and tell them to hurry up with the potion. I know where we can find Killian, but... I don’t think he has much time left.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop, sorry for that tiny last scene; I wanted to end it on a dramatic note :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Climactic chapter time!!

In truth, the timing ended up being perfect.

Regina was just pouring the Forever Protection potion into a small glass vial when Emma’s phone started buzzing with an incoming call. She picked up and took a few steps away from the cauldron, speaking quietly into the device for a couple moments. 

Then she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. “Belle found Killian.”

Regina was so startled she nearly dropped their hard-made potion. “Wait, _what_? How?!”

“My mom didn’t say; it doesn’t matter.” Emma was moving in frantic jerks. “She thinks she can bring us there. We need to go, _now._ ”

“But we haven’t even figured out a way to use the potion!” Regina protested. 

“Actually...” Henry, who was sitting on one of the magic chests and pouring through some of Regina’s spell books, looked up. “I think I just found a way. According to this, if you pour a drop of any potion on your hand and then cast the protection spell, it will take on any compatible properties of the potion. It’s how all of the protection spells around Storybrooke did different things when people crossed them.”

“Henry, you’re amazing,” Emma declared, kissing him firmly on the forehead and then spinning back to Regina. She took a few quick strides towards the ex-queen and held out her hand. “Let me take it, Regina. I can do it.”

“Emma...” Regina hesitated.

“If you’re going to say I’m too emotionally involved, that’s the _point_ ,” Emma cut in. “You’ve told me a million times that magic comes from emotion. My _need_ to protect Hook might just make this protection spell stronger than even Gold.”

“She’s got a point, mom,” Henry put in. “And besides, you’ll be there if anyone needs to have a cool head.”

“Fine,” Regina relented, placing the potion bottle carefully in Emma’s hand. “Once we get there, only take this out _right_ before you’re going to use it. If Gold gets his hands on this... we’ve tried too hard to make this work to let him take it from us.”

Emma nodded tightly. “Come on,” she said. “My mom said to meet them at their apartment, and then Belle will lead us to Killian.”

Regina nodded, and sliced her hand through the air, poofing them away in an gust of purple smoke. 

“There you three are,” Snow said the moment Regina, Emma and Henry appeared. She was busy positioning her arrow bag over her back while David made sure Neal was comfortable. 

Belle was fidgeting by the front door and Emma stared hard at her. “How did you find him?” she demanded. “Regina tried a locater spell and not even _that_ worked!”

“I... conned Rumple, so to speak,” Belle replied awkwardly. “I, um... I made him believe that I wanted to hurt Hook as badly as he did. And so he brought me to the spot in the woods where he’s keeping Hook captive so I could... go at him.”

“That seriously _worked_?” Regina asked incredulously. “He just... believed you?”

“I guess I’m a good actress?” Belle tried with a weak shrug.

“My two cents?” Robin put in. He was also suited up with an arrow bag, and looked anxious to be on the move. “Gold has felt the burning need for revenge for so long that he can’t imagine other people being able to let it go. He was probably just happy that Belle was finally starting to think like him in regards to Hook.”

“Maybe,” Belle said with a shrug. “But, whatever the case may be, it worked, and I know where he is. But we need to _go_. I don’t know how much longer Gold is going to want to- to _play_ with him for.”

Emma shuddered, and made sure to fall into step beside Belle as everyone piled out of the door. “Did he- was he-”

Belle looked at her sadly. “He’s in pretty rough shape, Emma,” she said softly, reaching out to rub her friend's arm. “I... I would prepare yourself.”

Snow, overhearing, gave Emma’s hand a comforting squeeze. Emma pushed back her shoulders and shook her head. “We’re going to save him,” she said firmly. “We _have_ to save him. Bad guys don’t get to win like this. Not now.”

**W / T \ Y**

“Belle, are you _sure_ you know where you’re going?” Regina asked, a little out of breath. They’d been tramping through the woods fringing Storybrooke for the better part of twenty minutes, and she was pretty sure they’d already seen this part of the woods already. 

Belle took a few more steps and then moved in a slow circle, staring up at the treetops. “I’m sorry,” she sighed, looking back at the group. “Rumple only gave me the chance to take in the woods right outside of where he’s keeping Killian. I thought I’d be able to recognize it, but...”

“You’re trying to find _one spot_ in this entire forest?” Emma confirmed incredulously. “But we could be walking for _hours_ without hope of passing it! And what if you forget?”

“That part won’t be a problem,” Belle assured her. “There was one of those hunter’s stands up in a nearby tree. If we can find that, we can find Killian.”

Robin perked up. “Did you say a hunter’s stand?”

“Yeah,” Belle said, looking at him quizzically. “It’s one of those wooden platforms that-”

“I know what a hunter’s stand is,” Robin interrupted, amused. “ _And_ I know where it is.”

“You do?” Regina asked.

“Always the tone of surprise,” Robin teased her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “Yes, I know where it is. I put it up.”

He glanced around himself, getting oriented, then turned and plunged into the bushes. Regina sighed, but followed, leaving the others to jog after them.

Robin led them to a spot of woods only a few minutes away. True to Belle’s word, there was a hunter’s stand up in a tall oak tree... but there was no door, and definitely no Killian.

“I don’t understand...” Belle murmured, staring around her at the landscape, which consisted of trees, brush, and an out-of-place mound grass covered of earth. Regina frowned thoughtfully and strode towards the mound. She brushed her hand along the side, then jumped back as the whole thing shimmered and changed form.

“I knew I smelled magic,” Regina muttered, pleased with the result of her experiment. “He’s in here.”

Emma strode towards the door but Snow caught her arm. “Emma, wait,” she said. “I know that you want to save Hook, but.... we might only get one chance at this. We need to plan what we’re going to do, and by that I mean an entrance plan, but also how we get Hook _and_ ourselves safely out. I doubt that Rumplestiltskin will let him go without a fight.”

“You’re right,” Emma allowed. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the vial of swirling red Forever Protection potion. “Regina, do you think there’s enough in here for all of us?”

Regina eyed the bottle. “There should be,” she decided. “After all, you only need one drop for each protection spell. Do you think we should cast it on everyone here, just in case it gets ugly?”

“That’s exactly what I think,” Emma said, tugging the cork from the vial. She poured a minuscule amount into her hand and waved it, watching as a silvery glow appeared around Henry for a moment before fading into nothingness. “Let’s hoped that worked.”

Regina and Emma quickly cast protection spells on Belle, Robin, the Charmings and finally, each other. Then Emma rolled her shoulders and faced her friends. “Regina and I are going to go in,” she said. “Keep watch at the door, just in case Gold poofs us away or something and you need to come in as backup. I’ll cast the protection spell on Killian as quickly as possible. Then I get into the cell, heal him, and we’ll just... walk out, I guess. Gold can’t do anything to stop us, not with these protection spells.”

The rest of the group nodded, and Emma looked at Regina. “You ready?” she asked in a low voice.”

Regina dipped her chin. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Emma threw open the door, and they burst into the room.

The first thing she saw was the cage that Belle had described on the walk over. Killian was sprawled on the ground inside, Gold standing over him with a foot on either side of his chest, his arms raised. He was holding his Dark One dagger, ready to stab it into Killian’s heart.

“No!” Emma yelled, dumping probably way too much potion on her hand and waving it. 

Killian glowed and Gold stumbled back, looking at Emma and Regina furiously. “No...” he growled, before turning back to Killian and stabbing the dagger down.

There was a burst of light and Gold was thrown backwards. His head smacked into one of the bars of the cage and he crumpled to the ground, dazed.

Emma darted forward, tripping on the last step in her haste to get to the cage. She fell to her knees outside of it, rattling the bars. “Killian, Killian, it’s me. It’s Emma. I’m here, okay? You’re going to be okay; we’re going to get you out.”

All of the sudden, the cell door swung open. Emma looked over at Regina in shock to find the woman lowering her hand. “Honestly, Emma, sometimes I swear you forget you have magic,” Regina said exasperatedly.

Emma winced and scrambled inside the cage to kneel by Killian’s side. His face was swollen almost beyond recognition and his hooked arm was bent at a very awkward angle, but she didn’t see any terrible stab wounds. “Hang on,” she whispered, hovering her hands over his chest. “I’m going to heal you.”

Her hands glowed purple for a second, light shimmering into Killian’s body. But.... nothing happened. 

“What’s wrong?” Emma asked Regina desperately. “Why isn’t it working?”

“The human body can only be healed by magic so many times before it looses its reception,” a voice that _wasn’t_ Regina’s said. Emma’s head whipped towards the sound and she found Gold picking himself off of the floor. 

“It should be able to be healed ten to fifteen times in a condensed period of time, depending on the severity of the injury, before it loses reception to magic!” Regina countered, moving down the last few steps. 

Emma looked at Gold, murderous. “What did you _do_ to him?!” she demanded, rising to her feet. 

“Exactly what I said I would,” Gold replied calmly, folding his hands. “I made him suffer.”

“I will _kill_ you!” Emma roared, slamming Gold back against the cage. “After _everything_ you’ve done to him, you stand here and still think that he deserves to suffer? After everything he’s sacrificed, all the lives he’s saved?!”

“Emma!” Regina yelled, trying to rip her off. Gold was starting to gasp, Emma’s forearm pressed against his throat. “Emma, _stop_ , Killian wouldn’t want this!”

“Well, I _do_!” Emma cried, pressing harder. “That protection spell won’t last forever, Regina, and you _know_ that Gold is just going to keep coming after us, over and over until he gets what he wants.”

A hand fell on her shoulder again and Emma tried to shake it off, but it clung tight. “Swan,” Killian’s voice said, and she gasped and turned around, letting Gold fall to the ground and clutch at his throat.

Killian was barely able to stand straight, using the hand on her shoulder to support himself while his other arm hung limply at his side. “Emma,” he said softly. “ _This_ is what he wants. If he wants me to suffer, losing you to the darkness will accomplish that goal more than any torture ever could.”

Emma felt the fight draining out of her, her eyes welling up. She dove forward and buried herself in Killian’s arms, feeling a surge of guilt at the small grunt of pain he made and immediately loosening her grip. But then she felt him sag against her, his unbroken arm coming up to rest on her hair, and every thought was driven out of her mind besides how relieved she was to be able to hold him when she thought she’d never be able to again.

“Emma,” Regina said gently, resting a hand on her back. “I’m going to send you both to the hospital, okay? If we can’t heal Hook the magical way, you’ll need to get Whale.”

Emma nodded, not pulling away from Killian. She saw the purple smoke whirling around in her peripheral, and then she and Killian were standing in the middle of the hospital. The nurse manning the front desk jumped. “Sherif Swan!”

Emma finally broke away from Killian, wrapping her arm around his waist to support him. She could feel him growing steadily heavier, leaning more and more weight on her, and knew she wouldn’t be able to hold him up for very much longer. “This man needs help,” she said urgently. “I don’t know the full extent of his injuries but they’re- they’re bad.”

“I’ll call Dr. Whale right away,” the nurse assured her, quickly buzzing into an intercom system. 

“It’s going to be alright,” Emma murmured into Killian’s hairline, pressing her lips to his temple over and over. She could taste blood, even there. “It’s going to be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REUNNNNIONS!!!
> 
> I decided to break off the chapter here because I don’t feel like having to go through all the medical stuff. But there will be some more hugs+reunioning next chapter, for sure ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came to the conclusion that over the course of six season we only got to see one Emma and Killian hospital scene.... and it was back in Season 2, when they hated each other.
> 
> Rip XD Well, I’m here to remedy that

Emma had been forced into a chair in the waiting room to await the results of Killian’s examination. It had been close to an hour, now, and she was starting to get a little antsy. Her parents had texted that everyone was on their way, Gold safely knocked out (curtesy of David) and locked in the Sherif’s station. Belle had taken the Dark One dagger, and Gold wouldn’t be getting his hands back on it anytime soon, if she had anything to do with it.

Just as Emma thought she might have to break into Killian’s hospital room, Dr. Whale stepped out into the hallway. “Emma,” he greeted. “It seems that, with you and your extended family and friends, I never run out of business.”

“Whale,” Emma replied, her mouth pinching. They really needed to get more than a single doctor in Storybrooke. “How’s Killian?”

Whale let out a breath and ran a hand through his bleach-blond hair. “He’s stabile, now,” he said. “It was the oddest thing... he was suffering from _severe_ blood loss, yet he didn’t have a single open wound on his body, save for some on his face that weren’t nearly large enough to be the cause. Any ideas of how that could be?”

Emma nodded, her stomach turning to a small, hard rock in her abdomen. “He was... he was kidnapped by Rumplestiltskin,” she explained carefully. “He tortured Killian and then used his magic to heal him so he could start all over again. I guess maybe magic can’t replace blood?”

“I wouldn’t have any idea, but that would make the most sense,” Whale replied with a shrug. “Anyway, we’ve got him hooked -sorry for the pun- up to an IV to get him some blood back. He fractured his arm in four different places and broke seven ribs, but we’ve splinted and wrapped all of those and they should heal okay. He needed stitches in his temple but other than that, the swelling should start to go down in his face in about a week. He’ll be sore and need pretty heavy pain medication for awhile, but he’ll make a full recovery.”

Emma felt her shoulders drop away from her ears with relief. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “Can I see him?”

“Yeah, head on in.” Dr. Whale swept a hand toward the door. “There’s a nurse call button if either of you need anything. Don’t know how lucid he’ll be, but you can sit with him if it makes you feel better.”

He strode off down the hallway, hands deep in the pockets of his lab coat. Emma got up from her chair and slipped inside Killian’s room, shutting it quietly behind her.

“Swan?” Killian mumbled, looking blearily over at her. He was, if possible, in even worse-looking shape than he’d been when he had been hit by a car on the edge of Storybrooke, his face puffy and bruised. The dirt and blood had been cleaned off, and his leather replaced with a hospital gown. One of his arms was splinted all the way up to his shoulder. 

“Oh, Killian,” Emma breathed, sinking into a chair beside the gurney and putting her hand gently on top of his, careful of the IV. She glimpsed his hook resting on the bedside table and cringed slightly, knowing he wouldn’t like to be separated from that piece of him for as long as it would take his bones to heal. “How do you feel?”

“Not much,” Killian replied, his words slurring a little. “I don’t feel... much.”

“Pain meds,” Emma told him with a wry smile. “After what you’ve been through, not feeling much is better than the alternative.”

Killian’s cracked lips turned upwards in a smile. “What happened?” he asked quietly. “I remember... I remember pulling you off of the Crocodile but...”

His voice was starting to rasp even after just those short sentences, so Emma grabbed the small paper cup of water on his bedside table and handed it to him. He took a sip and she answered his question. “We figured out how to make this spell called the Forever Protection Enchantment. Regina and I were able to use it to create a protection spell, which is more temporary than it’s intended use, but... well, it did what we needed it to.”

Killian handed the now empty cup back to her. “That’s what stopped the Crocodile from killing me?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Emma said. Her gaze flicked to the ceiling and suddenly her breathing was unsteady. “Killian, we- we almost didn’t get there in time.”

“But you _did_ , love,” Killian murmured. He shifted, trying to push himself up in bed but suddenly grasped at his side, letting out a groan. “You were right,” he wheezed, sinking back down into the pillows as Emma eyed him worriedly. “The alternative is _definitely_ worse than not feeling anything.”

Emma let out a watery laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to Killian’s forehead. He frowned at her. “Really? I get tortured to spare your life and all I get in return is a measly forehead kiss?”

“If I could do any more without hurting you, I would,” Emma told him, brushing her thumb over his split lips. “Trust me.”

**W / T \ Y**

Killian dropped off to sleep about twenty minutes later, and Emma got to her feet to find some coffee. When she stepped out of the hospital room, it was to find her parents, Henry, Regina, Robin and Belle all hurrying down the corridor towards her.

“ _Emma_ ,” Snow breathed, pulling her into a hug. “How is he?”

“He’s going to be just fine,” Emma assured him. “Few broken ribs, _giant_ cast on his arm, screwed up his face, but... he’s going to be fine.”

“Good, that’s good,” David said, pushing a relieved hand through his hair. 

“He’s asleep right now,” Emma went on, glancing over her shoulder. She could just make out Killian through the cloudy hospital room windows, his face lax and calm with sleep. “I was going to go get some coffee.”

She yawned, as if to prove her point, and Snow rubbed at her arm. “You’re exhausted, honey,” she said softly. “You should try and get some rest.”

“I’ll be fine, mom,” Emma sighed. “I’m not leaving here until he does.”

“Then I’m not, either,” Henry declared, crossing his arms. “So we can take shifts, okay?”

Emma ruffled his hair fondly and put her arm around him for a half-hug. “Sounds good, kid. You wanna come with me to get coffee and food?”

“Usually I can trust you to get the good snacks, but sure,” Henry agreed, and they walked off down the hall.

“Well,” Regina said, brushing her hands down the thighs of her slacks. “I’m sure Hook wouldn’t appreciate being absolutely smothered when he wakes up, so I’m going to head home. I’ll be by tomorrow morning to check in.”

“I’ll go with you,” Robin agreed. She took his hand and they waved at the Charmings and Belle as they set off back down the hospital hallway.

“I’ll stick around for a bit,” Belle decided, sinking into a chair and resting her head back against the wall with a deep sigh. “I know it was Rumple who did all of this to him, but... I still feel like I owe him an apology.”

“You don’t,” David told her firmly. “But I’m sure he’d love to see you when he’s awake. Even if it’s just to thank you- you _were_ the one who found him, after all.”

Belle smiled gratefully at him and then shut her eyes, burnt out by the day’s happenings.

Snow leaned into David’s side, peeking through the window into Killian’s room. “We were lucky this time,” she said softly as David ran his hand along the back of her head in a soothing manner. “But Hook was _so close_ to death, David. What if we’re too late next time?”

“With any luck, there won’t _be_ a next time,” David said firmly, giving her a squeeze. “But you know how it goes, Snow. Even if something bad does happen, we will always fight, and we will always win. Today should prove that to you, not make you afraid for the future.”

Snow nodded, nestling her head into David’s collarbone. “I’m glad everything worked out today,” she said a quiet voice. “Emma and Killian have been through too much to let Rumplestiltskin tear them apart in such a horrible way. They deserve a happy ending, at least for a little while.”

“They do,” David agreed. “And I know that you and I will do _whatever_ we can to make sure they get it.”

**W / T \ Y**

The next time Killian woke up, he opened bleary eyes to find Henry sitting at his bedside, flipping through the pages of his well-loved storybook. Killian shifted a little, groaning, and the teenager immediately glanced up. “Hook! You’re awake.”

“That I am, lad,” Killian mumbled, lifting his good hand to rub his face, but quickly stopping when he remembered the bruising. He paused, squinting a little. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you, but...”

“Emma’s in the bathroom,” Henry told him with a faint grin. “She was going to head to the cafe and get some food, but I’m sure she’ll come straight back here if she knows you’re up.”

Killian waved him off. “No, lad, let her get some sustenance,” he said. “She should know that she doesn’t need to stick around here; it’s not as if I’ve been all that interesting, company-wise.”

Henry snorted. “No,” he agreed. “Though your snoring is somewhat conversational.”

Killian laughed at that, even though it hurt both his ribs and his face. He carefully pushed himself up in bed, Henry hurrying to reach over and adjust his pillows accordingly. “Thank you for your help in rescuing me, lad,” he said, reaching for the cup of water that had been left, refilled, on his bedside table. He was feeling considerably more mobile than the first time he’d woken up, and he would be taking full advantage. “Your mother told me how you found out about my father using your Author powers.”

Henry tilted his head a little. “You never mentioned your father was a guard,” he said quizzically. “Actually... you barely mention him at all. Or your mother.”

“My parents are a... painful reminder of what I’ve lost, both by my own hand and the hands of the gods,” Killian said slowly. “I, as you know, killed my own father many years after he abandoned me and my brother, Liam. And my mother... she died soon after I was born.” He frowned. “But I’m sure you know that, if you wrote the beginning of my story.”

Henry shook his head. “I didn’t actually have time to finish the story,” he admitted. “Your dad had just returned from his first pirating mission when I finally realized you were the guard’s son and we had to rush off to get the chest plate for our potion.” He hesitated, playing with the corner of his storybook. “Maybe, once you’re better... _you_ could tell us the story. If you want.”

Killian looked at him with a small smile on his face. “I would love to tell you and your mother about my past, Henry,” he said softly. 

Henry grinned, and then both he and Killian glanced over as the door swung open. Killian’s eyebrows rose hopefully, thinking it might be Emma, but instead Belle slipped inside. She offered the pair an awkward smile and squeezed her hands anxiously in front of her. “Uh.... hey, Killian.”

“Belle,” Killian greeted. 

“How are you?” Belle asked, stepping into the room and grasping at the end of Killian’s bed. She didn’t wait for him to respond before barreling on. “I, um, I just wanted to- to tell you how _sorry_ I am. I swear I never would have hurt you if there had been another way. I mean... maybe there was another way, but I just couldn’t- I couldn’t think of one.”

Killian blinked, taken aback. “To be honest, love... I’d forgotten about all that... unpleasantness.” He spared a glance in Henry’s direction and found the teenager’s eyebrows furrowed curiously. Apparently, Belle hadn’t shared all of the details of how she’d found Killian with the rest of the group. He didn’t entirely blame her. 

“You... had?” Belle asked uncertainly, not sounding convinced.

“Aye,” Killian confirmed. “What I remember was you risking your life and your monstrous husband’s wrath to aid in my rescue. That is the only part that matters. So, love, I won’t forgive you, because you’re in no need of forgiveness. Instead... I’d like to say thank you.”

“Me, too,” a voice from the doorway piped up. Killian felt a smile bloom over his face at the sight of Emma. It really was quite ridiculous how much he’d missed her after only 5 or so waking minutes. “Belle, you were the reason we were able to save Killian, and we couldn’t have found the chest plate and finished the spell without your help.” Emma walked further into the room, setting down a trey of food on one of the side tables and rubbing Belle’s arm with her hand. “I don’t know how I can ever fully repay you for how much you did for Killian today.”

Belle looked considerably more settled and she gave Emma a watery smile. “Of course,” she said firmly. “After everything he- you _both_ \- have done for me... it was the least I could do.” She glanced between the three of them. “I’m going to head home now... I’ll bring by some books tomorrow, to keep you occupied. Feel better, Killian, and I expect drinks on the Jolly Rodger as soon as you’re able.”

Killian smiled. “Aye, love.”

“Bye, Belle,” Emma said, giving her a quick hug. Belle tucked her hands into her pockets and disappeared out of the room. 

“Alone at last,” Killian joked, gazing up at Emma as she walked around the side of his bed to press a kiss to his forehead. She was about to reply when the door opened yet again and Snow and David came in. Killian repressed a worn-out sigh and put on a friendly smile.

“Killian, I’m so glad to see you awake,” Snow said kindly.

“I was getting close to calling Aurora and seeing if she’d give you her title of Sleeping Beauty,” David joked.

“You calling me a beauty, Dave?” Killian teased back, smiling a little more naturally.

David laughed and Emma brushed her fingers back through Killian’s hair. He had been cleaned up considerably since he’d been brought in but his hair had been hard to deal with without a proper shower, leaving it grimy and still a little stuck with blood. Emma carefully smoothed down his fringe and Killian gazed up at her. Sleep and pain medication were starting to drag him down again, and if he went under he wanted the last thing he saw to be the woman he loved.

Snow caught the glance. “Well, we’ll be off,” she said quickly, elbowing David before he could make an confused remarks about how they’d just got there. “We’re going to grab some clean clothes and toothbrushes for Emma and Henry. Killian, do you need anything?”

“The ability to go home?” Killian suggested with a wry smile, before he shook his head. “No. Thanks, love, but I can’t do all that much right now.”

David and Snow said their goodbyes and headed out. 

“You could have gone with them, Henry,” Emma told him. “I’m fine holding down the fort here.”

“ _Both_ of you should go home,” Killian said. “Get some rest, eat a hearty meal.”

“And leave you to fight with your jello all alone?” Emma teased, kissing his forehead again. “I don’t think so, mister.”

“I’m staying,” Henry declared, before turning to his backpack and opening it. “Hey, I brought my storybook. Anyone want me to read?”

Emma glanced over at Killian and shrugged, unopposed to the idea. “Sure, lad,” Killian agreed. “As long as your _mother_ -” he gave Emma’s arm a firm tug, forcing her to sit hard on the mattress next to him, “joins me on this ridiculously thin mattress.”

Emma rolled her eyes fondly and stretched out, trying to position herself so she wasn’t hurting Killian any more than he already was. Killian wrapped his good arm around her shoulders, resting his cheek on top of her hair.

“Read away, kid,” Emma told Henry, and he opened up his book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see from the chapter numbers, I want to have just one more chapter. I even have half of it written. But we'll see if I can finish it... and if not, I'd say that's a pretty good ending! 
> 
> If this IS the last chapter... thank you guys for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighttt I did another chapter! Here you go, enjoy :)

Emma stood in the center of the Sherif’s station, her hands tucked casually in her pockets. She was the picture of ease, posture relaxed and expression neutral, because she knew that if she let even an ounce of emotion to the surface, it would all bubble up and she would do something that she would (someday) regret.

Gold slowly looked up. He was sitting in the corner of the holding cell, a black band tight around his wrist. Regina had made absolutely sure that there would be _no possible way_ for him to be removing the power-dampener, but Emma still made sure to keep a good four feet away from the cell. It was better to be safe than sorry.

“Miss Swan,” Gold greeted quietly. “What can I do for you?”

“Nothing,” Emma told him. She had come to Gold desperate for his aid enough times that there was a certain satisfaction in being able to say that. “I just wanted to let you know that Killian got released from the hospital today and will make a full recovery.”

Gold’s expression barely flickered. 

Emma, emboldened and unable to resist, took a step towards the cage. “I came here to tell you that you failed, Gold,” she said. “Even with all of your power, with your dagger, with your foolproof plans... you _failed_.” She smiled contemptuously. “So, if you can fail with all the odds in your favor, how do you think you’ll manage with everything stacked against you?”

Emma didn’t wait for Gold to reply. She knew that he wouldn’t give her the reaction she wanted, at least not while she was watching. 

But she knew she had gotten to him, and that was all that mattered to her. 

Emma turned and walked out of the Sherif station. She made it halfway down the street, and was too far away to hear Gold’s enraged scream. 

**W / T \ Y**

When Emma got back to her apartment, she found Killian and Henry camped out on the couch. They were attempting to co-play a video game, with Killian operating one half with his good hand and Henry controlling the other. Emma rested her forearms on the back of the couch and analyzed their form thoughtfully. “You know, you could start a youtube trend with that kind of playing.”

Henry’s entire face lit up. “Oh my _gosh_ we should start a family youtube channel!” he cried. “We could do all sorts of videos like sword-fighting tutorials and duels, or even, like, lessons on how to work the Jolly Rodger, or...”

Emma watched him plan with a grin, but Killian looked despondent. “It sounds like a grand idea, lad, but I don’t know how much use I’ll be.”

“Just for now,” Emma reminded him, leaning over to press her lips gently to his hair. Killian leaned back, sighing contentedly, and the character he and Henry were controlling promptly ran off a ledge and died.

“Darn,” Henry sighed, taking the controller and putting it on the coffee table in front of him. 

Emma frowned thoughtfully. “Let me give it a try,” she requested, and came around the side of the couch. She took a seat next to Killian with some extra care not to jostle him. It had been almost four days since he’d been admitted to the hospital, and he really _should_ have stayed for a little longer but Regina had pulled some strings to get him home. He was sore and stiff and doped up on some pretty serious pain meds, but, as Emma had told Gold, he would be making a full recovery. 

Killian reached his good arm around Emma’s shoulders, and she let him position her into a spot that wouldn’t make him uncomfortable. She restarted the game level and her eyebrows furrowed intensely as she began. 

Henry let out a low whistle as Emma dominated the game and Killian smirked. “I didn’t realize video gaming could be genetic, but I believe I know where you get your love of the games, lad,” he teased, giving Henry a nudge. “I don’t believe that I, on the other hand, am quite cut out for them.”

“Practice,” Emma assured him, biting down on her tongue in concentration. “Screen time was my number one babysitter back in foster care. The best way to learn is to watch the form of people who are better than you.”

“Like you?” Killian teased.

Emma kissed him on the cheek while somehow not taking her eyes off of the screen. “I was actually referring to some of the older kids that _I_ watched when I was learning, but yes, like me.”

Killian, taking all her advice quite seriously, focused in on Emma’s technique. Unfortunately for his video-gaming future, it wasn’t long before he started to droop with exhaustion.

Emma finished the level and triumphantly high-fived Henry before catching sight of Killian’s fluttering eyelids. She smiled, handing the controller to her son. “I think it might be time to move you to bed, Killian.”

She disentangled himself from his side, trying to tramp down the guilt at the small whimper he let out at the loss of her warmth, and reached out a hand to help him up. “Come on. Up with you, Pirate.”

Killian took her hand and they leveled him off the sofa. Emma wound an arm around his waist for support and they headed up the stairs. She got Killian settled and pressed a kiss to his forehead before creeping out of the room, but Emma had barely made it a foot down the hallway before she heard a sharp gasp and Killian called out, “Emma-!”

Emma was back inside their bedroom in an instant, eyes wide and scanning for any intruder or cause of alarm. Instead, she found Killian gripping his blankets with similarly wild eyes. The knowledge hit her then: this was the first time Killian had been alone since he’d been kidnapped. All throughout his stay at the hospital, Emma and Henry had kept vigil at his bedside, supplemented by their friends and family. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Emma whispered, hurrying over to the bed again. “It’s okay, Killian.”

He stared up at her, breath coming in shaky pants. 

“You need to rest,” Emma murmured, smoothing his hair back and then leaned down to press her forehead to his. “I’m going to be right downstairs. And when I leave, I’ll put a protection spell up around the room. No one can get in, and no one can hurt you, not as long as I’m around.”

“What if he takes you?” Killian rasped, reaching up and gripping Emma’s arm. 

He didn’t clarify who ‘he’ was, but Emma had a pretty good idea who was meant. “Gold is locked up,” she assured Killian. “I went and made sure before coming home this afternoon. He’s rotting in a cell, unable to access his magic, and Belle has the dagger. He’s not going to hurt _anyone_ ever again, you got that?”

Killian nodded, clearing his throat and letting his arm fall. Emma reached up and stroked his cheek, trying to avoid the bruises, before pulling back. “I’m going to go downstairs,” she told him steadily. “Give a holler if you need anything at all, okay? But try and get some rest, Killian. You need it.”

Emma slipped back out of the room and shut the door behind her, waving her hand to cast a quick, sturdy protection spell. It was true that, if Rumplestiltskin really wanted to get at Killian again, a protection spell most likely wouldn’t stop him, but at the very least, it would slow him down. Hopefully that would be enough to give them both peace of mind.

When Emma made it back downstairs, she found Snow sitting at her kitchen counter with Henry, sipping on a mug of tea. “Emma,” Snow greeted her happily. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s adjusting,” Emma said, taking a seat across from her. “A little on edge, but I think that’s pretty understandable.”

Snow nodded sympathetically. “Of course,” she said. “He went through a pretty traumatic experience.”

As if Emma didn’t already know it. She pulled a slight face and nodded. 

“In other news,” Snow went on. “Gold is locked up. We’re going to need to figure out what to do with him, though. We can’t keep him in the Sheriff’s office forever.”

“Tell me about it,” Emma sighed. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to go sit and work there with him breathing down my neck, even if he _is_ behind bars.” She considered the problem for a moment. “We could... put him in the asylum. It held Zelena for a little while. And Hyde.”

Henry, overhearing, came in from the living room. “I feel like every time I hear about the asylum, someone’s broken out of it,” he said. 

“Fair point,” Emma agreed. “So maybe that’s not a good idea.”

They were silent a moment, considering. 

“What if we sent him back to his cage in the Enchanted Forest?” Snow suggested. “He was trapped for a long, _long_ time before Regina cast the curse and brought everyone to Storybrooke. If we could find a way to get him back there, it might actually stick this time.”

“It’s a good an idea as any,” Emma said, shrugging. She checked her watch. “I should be getting dinner started... you wanna stick around, mom?”

“Oh, no, I’ll leave you be,” Snow excused herself, getting to her feet. “Just wanted to pop in and check on how everyone’s doing. I’ll talk to David about getting Gold back to the Enchanted Forest, though, and we’ll see if we can find a bean.”

Emma nodded, getting to her feet as well to give her mom a hug goodbye. Then she turned to Henry, raising her eyebrow. “So, dinner... nachos or tater tots?”

He grinned.

**W / T \ Y**

Killian didn’t wake up for dinner, but Dr. Walsh had said the pain medications would probably mess with his stomach a bit and lack of appetite was to be expected. After a reheated dinner (she was really just mom of the year) and a movie, Emma left Henry on the couch catching up on homework and went to check on Killian.

He appeared to still be fast asleep when she took down the protection spell and walked into the room, but he stirred when she pulled down the covers and wormed her way into bed beside him.

“Go back to sleep,” Emma whispered as Killian blearily turned his head toward the movement. She leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, one of the first since he’d gotten back from the hospital. “It’s just me.”

“Did I miss supper?” Killian mumbled, ignoring her. 

“Yes, you missed another meal of my wonderful gourmet cooking,” Emma joked, tugging the covers more firmly over her shoulder. “Mac n cheese and tater tots from the freezer section.”

Killian shook his head. “There must be some sort of health detriment that comes with eating those things,” he muttered.

Emma grinned. “That’s a conversation for another evening,” she said.

“And what’s the conversation for this evening?”

Emma was about to give him the firm answer of _rest_ , but then she remembered Snow’s visit earlier that evening. “Gold,” she said, and didn’t miss the way Killian froze up, the distinct muscle in his slightly swollen jaw spasming slightly. “We’re... we’re thinking of sending him back to the Enchanted Forest.”

“And letting him lose?” Killian asked incredulously. “Emma, you can’t possibly-”

“No,” she interrupted. “We’d... we’d put him back in the cage he was in before all of this started. I mean, the only reason he ever got out was because of the Dark Curse.”

She sat up, feeling unsettled. “I know it’s not a perfect solution because if he’s- if he’s there, we can’t... keep an eye on him. But... I’d rather him be there. Out of sight, out of mind, you know? That cage held him well, better than the one in the Sheriff’s office or really anywhere in Storybrooke could.” She glanced down at Killian and then away again, rubbing at her face. “I just- I know we can’t kill him, it wouldn’t be right. But I just can’t help but think that he’ll be- be _haunting_ us forever until he’s gone in a more permanent way.”

“Even so,” Killian said, sitting up as well with a little grunt of pain. Emma moved to arrange his pillows but he waved her off. “Killing him could never be the answer, love. Besides, if you were able to protect me now, I have full confidence that you’ll be able to protect me if the Crocodile were ever to return, no matter when or where that will be.”

“I’ll protect you forever,” Emma confirmed with a weak smile, running her fingers through his hair. 

“I know, love,” Killian murmured. “So neither of us have any reason to be afraid.”

**W / T \ Y**

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Emma asked in a low voice. She and Killian were standing outside of the Sheriff’s office, a couple feet from the doorway where they had stopped a several moments ago.

About a week had passed since Killian had returned from the hospital. The swelling and bruising was finally starting to vanish from his face, but his arm was still in a cast and his ribs still had to be wrapped. In the time it had taken him to heal, Emma had been working and taking cases from home and Snow and David had devoted their time and energy to finding them a bean. They had managed to procure one thanks to a Storybrooke resident with hoarding tendencies who had been well compensated for giving up their magical item.

“Aye, love,” Killian answered. He was holding Emma’s hand even if it meant that he didn’t have either arm free, and he gave it a squeeze. “I think I rather _have_ to, if you know what I mean.”

Emma nodded. If there was anything she understood, it was a need for closure.

“Hook!”

Emma and Killian turned at the surprised exclamation from behind them to see David and Snow making their way up the front drive. Snow was holding a small leather pouch that Emma assumed had the bean inside. 

“Morning,” Killian returned, nodding. 

“I gotta say, I’m surprised to see you here, Hook,” David admitted when he and Snow got a little closer. “I want you to know that you don’t need to be here; we can easily send Gold to Storybrooke and pretend like none of this ever happened.”

They all knew that was impossible, but Killian just offered him a tight smile. “It’s alright, mate,” he said, then lifted his chin in greeting as Belle crossed the street on her way towards them. “Belle.”

“Good morning, everyone,” Belle greeted. She looked tired, and Emma felt a sudden surge of pity. As much evil as Rumple had done, he _was_ still the man that had once been Belle’s True Love; the person she was destined to be with. The fact that she had to lose all of that didn’t seem fair.

“Good morning, Belle,” Snow replied, reaching out and rubbing the other woman’s arm as if she’d had the same thoughts as Emma. “Well. Is everyone ready?”

Emma nodded and David let out a breath. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll go in and get him if you want to make your way to the back so we can open a portal?”

They went their separate ways, David vanishing inside the Sheriff’s Station to bring out Gold and Snow, Emma, Killian and Belle walking around the side of the building to the small courtyard area in the back.

“Alright,” Snow said steadily. “Belle, do you have the dagger in case he... tries something?”

“I do.” Belle confirmed, putting her hand on top of her shoulder bag. Regina had decided to stay away from the Sheriff’s station when Gold was released and portal was open, just in case he found some way to use her dark magic even without his dagger. Hopefully all of their precautions would be overkill, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared considering it felt like they rarely were. 

The back door opened and David dragged Gold out. Emma felt Killian stiffen and reached for his fingers again, rubbing her free hand up his arm. 

“So,” Gold said quietly, his voice and face expressionless as he stepped up to the courtyard with David close behind. “You’ve gathered to kill me?”

“Hardly,” Emma said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll remind you that killing isn’t what heroes _do_ , Gold, not that you’d ever understand that.”

“We’re sending you to the Enchanted Forest,” Snow told him, carefully opening the bag and letting the sparkly crystalized bean fall into her palm. “We’re going to lock you up in the same cell you were in when all of this began.”

Gold’s expression hardened. “I see,” he said, before his eyes slipped to his wife. “Belle-”

“Don’t.” Belle held up her hand. “Just don’t, Rumple. If you think I’m going to intercede for you after _everything_ you’ve done... then you don’t know me very well at all.”

“And what happened to _forgiveness_?” Gold spat. “To redemption? What if I... changed?”

“You never change, Crocodile,” Killian growled. “You’re the exact same man you were when you murdered Milah and cut off my hand. If you haven’t changed yet, you never will.”

“This isn’t up for debate, Gold,” Snow said simply. She stepped forward and passed her husband the bean. “David and I will escort you through the portal to the Enchanted Forest and make sure everything is taken care off.” She turned to the rest of the group. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Be safe,” Emma said, offering her a small smile. Then she, Killian and Belle took a few steps back and made sure they’d be out of the sucking radius of the portal. David threw the bean to the ground, and a swirling golden disk appeared in the grass.

Gold was getting visibly more frantic. “ _Belle_ ,” he pleaded, but she averted her eyes and tightened her grip on her bag.

“Alright, in we go,” David said, rubbing his hands together bracingly before getting a firm grasp on Gold’s arm and jumping into the portal, Snow following close behind. 

The portal shut, leaving nothing but slightly ruffled grass in its wake. Emma felt Killian’s body relax considerably and turned to offer him a smile. 

“Well, I should be going,” Belle said, swiping covertly at her cheeks and letting out a breath. “See you two around?”

“How about tonight?” Emma suggested, not wanting her to have to be alone. “Granny’s with us and Henry and Regina?”

“Sounds good,” Belle agreed, and hurried away.

Emma turned to Killian, slipping her thumb into his belt loop in place of his free hand. “How do you feel?” she asked him. 

Killian considered. “Better,” he decided on finally, nodding. “Like we’re finally free of him.”

Emma leaned up and kissed him. There was no way to know if they _were_ , truly, free (knowing Rumplestiltskin, he would be back someday), but for right now it was at least nice to pretend.

Besides, as Emma said, she would protect Killian forever. They had nothing to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okayyyy now we’re really done :)) I don’t know if this chapter was necessary, but we got at least a little extra fluff and h/c out of it in those earlier scenes :)

**Author's Note:**

> YOOOO this is turning into like way more of an episody-type story than I had thought it would! It’s surprisingly hard not to start delving into complex magic-related plots with these characters aha.


End file.
